Honour Among Thieves: Part 2
by Inking the Worlds
Summary: Previously on Justice League: Batman, Superman and J'onn have been captured by madman Locke Vice, who plans to destroy Gotham City and rid the world of sin. Can Red X make up for past mistakes and form an alliance with the JL, for the sake of the world?
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is Part 2 of the 'Honour Among Thieves' story (if you haven't read part 1, you'll probably have no idea what's going on, so please read that first).**

**Thanks again to the people who have commented (Loki's son, lover-enthralled, that means you ****). You both get extra brownie points.**

**Anyway, on with the story…**

Batman knelt in his cell, carefully tying his broken arm into a tight elevated sling across his chest with a torn strip of his cape. Gingerly, he tested it, turning and bending to see the sling's limits. His shoulder still throbbed, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it had been.

Batman stood, and once again surveyed the electrified bars in front of him. Constructing the sling had taken longer than he'd anticipated, but in truth he'd been keeping himself busy, trying not to think about Superman, possibly dead, two cells over; or about Vice, and what psychotic scheme he might have stored for the rest of the world; or about Red X, fighting for their lives in a gas chamber somewhere in the compound…about Jason…

_Gods…Jason…_

Since Vice had left about 5 minutes ago, Batman had tried to put thoughts of his former partner to the back of his mind. Now, they rose to the surface like a cobra, the suppressed fear and shock and guilt threatening to overwhelm him.

"Batman?" Whispered J'onn, snapping Bruce out of his reverie.

"I'm still here." He replied quietly.

"Superman –"

"We won't know for sure until we get to him." Said Batman, cutting J'onn off before he could finish.

"You have a plan?"

"Always."

So saying, Batman reached into his shoe with his left arm, wincing a little as the other arm let out a burst of pain in protest. He felt around for a second, and then pulled out a long coil of thin, insulated wire with a crocodile clip at either end. Carefully, he fed one end out through a hole in the bars, shaping the wire so the metal clip settled into the metal casing of the keypad. He held the other end for a second, readying himself for movement, silently willing Red X to hold on for a little while longer, before suddenly dropping it into a pool of stagnant water at his feet.

Immediately, the crackling electricity jumped the distance, fusing the keypad and short-circuiting the electricity on the door. The immediate effect was that the bars retracted, the lights fused, and everything was plunged into darkness.

However, the wire had a greater effect than even Batman anticipated; Vice's plans for the building had initially involved complicated wiring and electricals, but the tight time scheme that he provided the builders with meant that wiring everything individually was out of the question. The upshot of this was that the whole cell system – lights, doors, ventilation grids for the entire floor – were on the same series circuit. Which meant that, when Batman fused one part of that circuit, everything else instantly flickered and died.

Bizarro slammed X1 against the wall, holding him up by his neck. Jason kicked and punched, but his struggles were about as pointless as those of the few villains still on their feet, desperately throwing themselves at the walls.

Jason tried to push himself up, to ease some of the pressure on his windpipe, but the Kryptonian clone held him too tightly. His grotesque features contorted in a smile as he drew back a chalky fist, but before he could land the punch X2 sprang up his back, bounced onto Bizarro's neck and clapped her hands over his ears. Bizarro roared in pain and loosened his hold on Jason, who took his chance and swung himself out of Bizarro's grip to kick him in the head. Bizarro roared again, and staggered back, his hands flailing about his shoulders. By pure chance, he caught hold of X2's ragged cape and swung her round to face him, leering at her with broken teeth. Again, he pulled back his hand to land a punch that would shatter her into a million little pieces –

And then the lights went out.

In the darkness that followed, there was a collective gasp, lots of scuffling and shuffling, a small yelp of pain and a metallic clattering noise.

The backup power system kicked in a few seconds later, washing the room in red light. Bizarro continued his punch, only to find that his hand was empty. A tiny noise above him caused him to look up, and saw that the grate covering the ventilation shaft was tapping against the ceiling as it swung to and fro, the shaft itself open and filled with the sound of scurrying hands and knees.


	2. Chapter 2

In the main cell block, Batman's cell door had lost any right to call itself a door at all, as the sudden rush of high-voltage electricity had all but melted the metal into a quickly solidifying slop. Stepping casually over the silvery pool, Batman hurried to the last cell, where J'onn was bent over Superman's prone form.

"Is he…?"

"No." Replied the Martian, sounding completely surprised. "His breathing is shallow and his heart rate uneven, but he is alive. I don't understand – a shot like that should have killed him. Perhaps the collar, dampening his powers, also dampened his susceptibility to kryptonite?"

"Whatever the case, we need to move."

"Agreed."

They lifted the unconscious Kryptonian between them, Batman on his right so that the weight wasn't on his injured shoulder. Together, they staggered out into the corridor and turned right, heading in the same direction that Vice had gone in. Suddenly, the sound of running metal feet echoed up to them from ahead. Looking around, Batman spotted a waste chute to their right and, without any other option, the three of them bundled inside, J'onn first, followed by Superman, and finally Batman.

Closing the sliding door behind him, Batman tried to control his descent, until the chute suddenly tilted beneath him and he was forced to let himself slide out of control, preventing further damage to his shoulder taking all of his efforts.

Finally, the chute levelled out, and deposited him unceremoniously onto a pile of sacking beneath the opening. Dusting himself off, Batman stood and surveyed his surroundings.

They appeared to have arrived in Vice's waste disposal unit. The unsanded rock walls suggested that they were deep underground somewhere; the ride through the chute hadn't lasted that long, so presumably they were directly underneath the heart of Vice's facility. There was a dry heat in the air, and the roar of distant machinery below them. Every so often, thin, sporadic bursts of steam hissed up through the floor. Looking down, Batman realised the level on which he was standing was actually a mesh platform suspended above a stomach-churning drop, fixed to the wall by fat, oily cables. There were no workers on this platform; Batman assumed they were currently all on the lower levels, tending to the glowing machines below.

Quickly scanning the corners of the stalactite-studded ceiling, Batman spotted the tiny blinking red light of a CCTV camera. He tensed instinctively, then relaxed as he realised the camera was pointing in completely the wrong direction. There were no others as far as he could see. Evidently, Vice didn't count on anyone finding their way down here – either that, thought Batman, or he thinks we won't be able to hold this position for long.

Not exactly a comforting thought.

"Batman!" Called J'onn softly. Bruce followed the voice to a bank of rusting, outdated computers lined against the outer edge of the platform. Hurrying over, Batman quickly found the gap between the dead machines and the grimy railing, and, turning sideways, edged along until the space widened and formed a neat hidey-hole, where J'onn was laying down the feebly stirring form of Superman.

"How's he doing?" Asked Batman, crouching next to the pair.

"I believe he's coming around. His powers of recovery are truly incredible. Nevertheless, we should attempt to leave this facility. None of us are in any state to fight. We should regroup with the rest of the League and –"

"No. You go with Superman. I have to stay."

"Why? You can't take on Vice on your own, especially with a broken arm."

"There isn't time to explain now." Batman got up and started to leave, indicating there would be no further argument here.

"It's Red X, isn't it?" Said Superman hoarsely. Batman paused, looking back slightly over his shoulder. Superman had propped himself up on one elbow, and despite looking very weak and drawn, was keeping his dark eyes fixed on Batman, whose silence told Clark that he was completely right.

"What is your relationship with the boy…X1?" Asked J'onn.

Batman raised his eyes to the ceiling and wondered how best to answer.

Meanwhile, crawling through the ventilation system, X2 was wondering almost exactly the same thing. All the while since they had broken out of the chamber containing the other villains, X1 had kept up an icy silence, but X2 knew it wouldn't be long before he couldn't contain himself any more.

Suddenly, in front of her, Jason stopped and turned around. _Here it comes_, she thought apprehensively.

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" He growled, as loudly as he dared.

"Because I didn't know for sure –"

"Don't give me that! You're the one who found me washed up on the bank, it must have been pretty damn obvious!"

"You were so beaten up, you didn't have a cape or a mask –"

"Bet you were relieved when it turned out I had no memory; certainly saved you the trouble of explaining yourself!"

"It wasn't like that!"

"I trusted you! I couldn't remember anything, not family, not friends, I didn't even remember my own name until weeks later!"

"I didn't know! For all I knew, you were just some kid who got caught in the explosion!"

"All this time, and you never said anything! What, did you think that if I found out I'd just run and leave you in the same hellhole you were in before?"

"Maybe I did!" Yelled Taryn back, suddenly not caring who heard them. "And yeah, maybe it was stupid and selfish, but I thought if you knew you were Robin you'd – you'd just fly off again and – and l-leave me…" She gulped, then carried on, quiet desperation in her voice, willing him to understand.

"I didn't tell you, because, for all I knew, the person you used to be wasn't the same Jason I know now. You were the first person in the world who ever treated me like a human being. If you changed…I didn't think I could bear it. I'm sorry, I know I was wrong now, but – but…"

She looked up to see him staring at her, waiting for her to finish.

"I'd just found you." She whispered, looking back down at the floor. "I didn't want to lose you."

There was a long silence, broken only by Taryn's stifled crying. She sat with her back against the shaft wall, hugging her knees to her chest. Jason watched her, stunned out of yelling. Taryn _never_ emotional outbursts. That was his department.

He turned away, thinking over what she'd said. He was still angry, but at least now he understood. And he _did_ understand – he knew what it was like to be alone on the streets, with nothing and no-one to run to when you got hurt. He remembered what it had felt like that first night he'd awoken with nothing, not even a memory to call his own, and Taryn had saved him. She'd been alone too, running away from demons of her own. She had a plan for escape from the city, but she'd delayed until Jason was well enough to come with her. And then they'd left, carving a new path for themselves, moving from city to city, never standing still long enough for the past to catch up with either of them.

They were still running, but they were together, and so somehow it didn't hurt so badly anymore.

He looked back at Taryn, and realised that both of their lives had changed, sometimes for the worse, but mostly for the better. Taryn dragging him from the river hadn't been the only rescue that night; somehow, they'd both managed to save each other. She hadn't wanted to lose that inexplicable feeling of _belonging_ together, and Jason realised that, in all honesty, neither did he.

_Damn_, he thought, _I'm going soft_.

Crawling back a little way through the shaft, he turned and flopped down next to her.

"Hey." He said after a few seconds.

"Hey." She replied quietly, still sounding like she was about to burst back into tears. "Jason…I'm sorry for being such a –"

"No, I'm sorry." He said simply. "I shouldn't have got so angry."

"Pfft. You're _always_ angry. After 2 years, I hate to say I'm kind of used to it."

"Heh."

There was an awkward pause.

"So…we going to carry on, or…?"

_BWOOOOOMMMMMMMM_

Jason was saved the trouble of answering by a huge explosion that rocked the foundations of the room and almost rattled the vent shaft off the walls.

Down in the waste disposal room, the force of the shockwave shuddered through the floor and brought tiny cascades of rock and grit down onto the Leaguers.

"What the heck was _that_?" Muttered Superman as the dust settled.

Two levels above, the clown prince of crime danced through the newly-made hole in the containment chamber. Released green gas billowed around his ankles, and semi-conscious supervillains staggered out behind, gasping great whoops of the clean air.

"Bad boy, Bizarro. A truly terrible job." Bizarro grinned lopsidedly, and wiped chalk dust on his cape.  
>"Now," continued the Joker, turning to the recovering supervillain horde, "I'm sure the sick psychopath who put us in there is a little put out that we've broken their wall. What say we go and…cheer them up?"<p>

The sadistic smiles that met this suggestion were all the answer he needed, and as they moved away, the Joker began to laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

"I have to go." Said Batman simply, already halfway through the gap between the computer and the sickening drop.

"I'll come with you." Offered J'onn.

"No. Stay here with Superman."

"Don't get yourself into trouble." Muttered Clark, trying to be upbeat despite the pain in his chest.

"I never do." Replied Bruce, before running for the door set into the wall of the platform. "Trouble just seems to find me."

"Do you ever feel like he deliberately doesn't listen?" Asked J'onn once the door clicked closed.

"All the time." Sighed Superman, lying back down.

J'onn smiled, then looked up as the scanner on the other side of the door buzzed and then opened the lock with a resounding _clunk_.

"He can't be back already…" Murmured Superman, trying to sit up.

"No…" Muttered J'onn. The two of them sat and listened for several seconds, and then J'onn told Superman he was going to investigate.

"Be careful." Whispered Clark as J'onn slowly made his way out of their Sanctuary, pausing by the lip of the last computer to peer around.

"What do you see?" Said Superman quietly, struggling to get a better view of his friend.

"Nothing yet…" Suddenly, J'onn's eyes fell upon the two robotic guards that had entered the room, and were now slowly and methodically scanning the room, searching for them.

"Oh."

X1 dropped into the control room, and then turned to make sure X2 landed safely. She nodded, and left the shaft cover open for a quick getaway.

"Looks like Vice's operation was a little bigger than killing off supervillains." She noted quietly, casting an appraising eye over the humming computer banks and scattered trajectory notes.

"Bloody hell." whispered Jason, coming upon the laser, its enormous barrels still fixed upwards. "What the heck IS that?"

"No idea…" Murmured X2 walking slowly around the behemoth, marvelling at the aura of power that the laser exuded. Suddenly, she bent, and plucked something from inside a tangle of wires that sparked and fizzed in protest. "But here's something I _do _recognise!"

"A power core!"

She waved the xenolithium chip at him from the other side of machine, then slotted it into the gap in the buckle of her belt. Her suit buzzed, as if happy to finally be complete again, and the X designs on her hands glowed red momentarily.

"_That _is more like it." She said appreciatively.

"Great, now where's mine?"

X2 was about to answer, probably with something sarcastic, when raised voices reached them from the opposite door, rapidly becoming louder until Red X could make out every word.

"…absolutely INTOLERABLE!"

"We're doing our best to contain the situation…"

"YOUR BEST is not GOOD ENOUGH!"

Locke Vice stormed into the room, slamming the thick vault door behind him and leaving three nervous scientist-types to lock up after him.

Red X watched proceedings from a grate built into the ventilation shaft wall, which afforded them a perfect view whilst also hiding them from Vice and his quivering team of lackeys.

"What is the situation?" The madman demanded.

"The containment unit was breached –"

"You don't say? Well, I suppose that explains the army of supervillains storming towards our doorstep!"

"There – there's something else…the Justice League also escaped during the blackout."

Red X exchanged meaningful looks.

"I don't care!" Vice practically screamed at his aide. "The two supers are still wearing the inhibitor collars, and the Batman's no threat with a broken arm." X1 snorted quietly, thinking that the words 'Batman' and 'no threat' should NEVER be used in the same sentence.

"Focus on the problem in hand." Vice ordered, activating a bank of CCTV monitors showing live feeds from various corners of the compound. "Where is the Joker and his horde now?"  
>"Somewhere in the region of Corridor 7…"<p>

"Sounds to me like Vice is getting what's coming to him." Whispered X2, sounding very satisfied.

"I think we should leave him to it."

"So we're heading out?"

Jason paused, looking at the floor. Taryn watched him for a second, then sighed.

"You want to go back for them, don't you?" She said resignedly.

"They _are_ the good guys."

"Fine. I guess we owe it to them after getting them dragged here in the first place. Let's start at the cells and try to retrace their tracks."

Gratefully, Jason started to crawl through the duct after her, but then glanced back at the CCTV screens and stopped.

On the top left screen, Batman stood alone in plain view, his right arm strapped over his chest, his left arm struggling to clip the buckle of his utility belt into place. He was looking to the left of the screen, but suddenly he glanced up at the camera and sprinted off-shot, somehow managing not to reappear in the next screen.

"Jason?" Hissed Taryn, looking back.

"Change of plan." He muttered, coming to a decision. "You go, I'll stay."  
>"What for?"<p>

"Batman's coming this way." Jason said simply. Taryn stared at him, then nodded wordlessly and turned, scuttling silently away through the tunnel.

Less than a minute later, the lock on a side-door to the laser control room clicked open, and Batman stepped through, melding with the shadows. Finding his utility belt had been a serious stroke of luck; diving into a storage room to evade a group of patrolling androids, he had turned to see it simply hanging on a hook on the bare rock wall, seemingly waiting for him.

Vice had made the twin mistakes of underestimating the Justice League and (albeit unwittingly) endangering someone he cared about. Batman would make sure he never did either ever again.

Slipping through the darkness at the edge of the room, he quickly spied Vice and a group of about a dozen technicians gathered obliviously around a bank of monitors, staring intently at something on the screens, paying him absolutely no attention. More fool them.

Selecting a compartment from his belt, he plucked out a small metallic sphere, and rolled it across the floor. Vice looked down as it bounced off his shoe, and cocked his head in puzzlement.

The sphere exploded, releasing a thick cloud of black smoke that instantly engulfed that corner of the room. The technicians yelped and staggered around blindly, choking as the gas burnt their throat and eyes.

Swiftly, Batman reached into the confusion and grabbed Vice, dragging him out by his lapels. One-handed, he lifted Vice and slammed him against the nearest wall, pinning him there. Vice looked at him blearily through streaming eyes, and Batman was for once very pleased to see fear cross his expression.

"Last time of asking." Growled Batman. "Where is Red X?"

"I – I don't know!" Gulped Vice. Suddenly he gasped, looking over Batman's shoulder. "There! There's one of them right behind you!"  
>"Uh-huh. Tell me another."<p>

"Actually, Bats," Said X1 casually, "for once that guy is telling the truth."

Batman looked over his shoulder at the teenager leaning coolly against the giant laser, and instantly lost any doubts he might have had. The pose was so familiar…

X1 nodded at Vice. "You going to finish that?"

Batman looked back at the man quivering in his grip, and pushed him hard into the wall before letting him slump down onto the floor. Batman turned and stalked away without giving him a second glance. X1 stood straighter nervously

"Much as I'd love to see you pummel that guy, there's an army of seriously pissed off super-powered bad guys headed this way."

"Then we should probably leave."

"Suits me." Jason opened his mouth to say something else, but Batman cut him off.

"We'll discuss it later."

"Doesn't that sound like fun." Jason muttered sarcastically as Batman stalked past.

They were halfway to the door when the handle suddenly rattled.

"Uh-oh." Murmured Jason, backing away. The door burst off its hinges, and a ragtag group of assorted villains pilled through. They leered at X1, and then froze at the sight of Batman, who had shrugged his cape over his chest to hide his wounded arm.

"It's Batman!"

"What the hell is HE doing here?"  
>"Move over at the back!"<p>

Batman just stood and glared at them, but it seemed to be enough. His reputation had apparently spread some since Jason had last fought at his side. For a few seconds, it looked like there might be hope.

_CLANG_

Jason turned slowly, and took in the fist-sized dent that had just been punched in the 6-inch steel.

_CLANG_

Another dent appeared, a few centimetres to the left of the first.

_KEEERAANGGGGG_

The door broke from its frame, flew across the room and hit the opposite wall, narrowly avoiding Vice's prone form. Bizarro stepped through, very closely followed by the last person Jason had wanted to see alive ever again.

"Heeeeeeeeere's JOKER!" Cried the clown, his insane laughter filling the room.


	4. Chapter 4

"Superman!" J'onn cried, watching his friend sail backwards into the railing, which bent ominously but miraculously didn't break. Breaking away from the robot with which he was grappling, J'onn dove in and grabbed the ankles of android that was now throttling Superman, flipping it over the rail. Quickly, he glanced down at Superman, who was coughing, clutching his throat. He winced as he looked up, and his eyes widened.

"Look out…" He gasped.

J'onn turned in time to see a metal fist flying at his face. He barely sidestepped, then grabbed the limb at the socket and pulled with all his might. The tendons stretched and then broke, and J'onn quickly used his new-found weapon to beat back the weakened robot.

Until just now, J'onn's lack of both power and combat training meant that he was faring the worst, though Superman's injury almost levelled their chances. The pair of androids that had finally found them behind the computer banks had apparently called their friends before J'onn had pushed the machines on top of them, so while Superman had tackled an injured android, J'onn had had to deal with four fresh units.  
>A high-pitched screeching reached him from his right. He turned, and saw a third robot slowly dragging itself towards him, one of its legs missing. He used the previous assailant's arm to bat it away, then looked up as the fallen computer bank on his left scraped along the floor. A skeletal metal hand punched through the tangled wiring, then flung the pieces away, uncovering one of the first robots that J'onn had rather hoped had been crushed.<p>

Backing away, J'onn held the weapon out in front of him as the two fully functional robots advanced, driving him back until his heels hit the wall.

One lashed out, and he swung back, but the blow glanced uselessly off the silver armour, and the robot immediately grabbed the arm in an iron grip and twisted it out of J'onn's hands. The second robot used the opportunity to strike at his stomach. J'onn doubled over, feeling sick, and the first android slammed an iron fist into his head. He staggered back, and fell against the wall, the strength suddenly draining out of his limbs. He looked up, helpless, as they continued to advance, and then stopped in front of him, gazing down with cold, emotionless eyes.

He had just consigned himself to a brutal and painful death, when a metallic whistling, like a batarang, sang through the room, and both androids jerked forwards. A black shape somersaulted through the air between them, twin crimson blades slicing outwards and instantly severing their heads from their shoulders.

X2 landed in a crouch in front of J'onn as the robots toppled backwards, the explosive throwing stars in their backs detonating as they hit the ground. She stood, and looked back at the Martian.

"You don't need to tell me how much you appreciate my innate sense of timing." She said, snapping the blades into place on her belt so she could offer a hand to help him up.

"Superman…" mumbled J'onn, swaying slightly. X2 steadied him.

"Out for the count, I'm afraid."

"No – look."

Taryn glanced over to see three robotic guards advancing on the fallen Man of Steel, and swore under her breath.

"Stay here." She said firmly as J'onn staggered forwards, pulling him back.

"Why are you helping?" He asked as she laid him against the wall.

"Can we go through the difficult moral questions _after_ we escape?" Retorted X2 evasively, charging towards Superman and the androids, blades in hand.

Taryn yelled as she ran at the robots, as much for effect as to distract them from Superman. She leapt into the air, kicking out and spinning one blade behind her as her boot impacted on the lead robot, creating a sizable dent in its chest plate. She pushed off as soon as she made contact, spinning around with her weapons outstretched to slice into the other two's heads. Snapping out her legs in a mid-air split, she shoved their convulsing metal forms away, and then angled her blades downwards to plunge into the body of the dented android.

She stood, surveying the carnage around her, and then turned to Superman, throwing the crimson metal aside. She bent down to hook her arms underneath him, and then grunted with the effort of lifting him.

"Geeeez!" She groaned, dragging him jerkily away. "'Man of Steel' is right, how much does this guy weigh?"

She pulled him around the corner, and glanced over her shoulder to check the way.

"You might want to tell your friend to lay off the Super-burgers…" She called, waiting for a response. "J'onn?"

Turning around properly, she saw J'onn slumped against the wall, obviously having just lost consciousness.

"Oh, that's just _perfect_."

She set Superman down by his friend, and for a second considered just leaving them there. She had no reason to stay, after all; they weren't exactly on the same side. But, thinking about it, she felt her insides twist with unnecessary guilt. Sighing, and making a mental note to give herself a smack in the face later, she set about sealing the door and kicking the sparking remnants of the robots off the platform.


	5. Chapter 5

Meanwhile, for Jason and Batman, the fight had barely begun. The two of them stood back to back underneath the laser, Batman facing the hole, Jason facing the door. No-one had attacked yet, but they would. And when they did, it would not be pretty.

Jason was actually rather looking forwards to it.

"Just like old times." He muttered to Batman.

"I hope not."

"Huh?"

"As I remember it, you got blown up in the old times."

"Oh yeah." Jason laughed. "Good times."

Someone on Batman's side suddenly yelled and charged forwards. Batman took him out almost without thinking, flicking a batarang into the man's chest plate. It exploded in a plume of smoke, throwing him back into his fellows, who growled at the heroes. The first stone had been thrown.

"Here we go." Muttered Jason.

The villains on both sides charged, trying to catch Batman and Red X in a two-sided melee. Batman opened his hands, and dropped three small silver balls which rolled in different directions before bursting, belching out plumes of hazy smokescreen. Most of the villains stopped, trying to regain their bearings.

_Not happening_, thought Jason with something akin to glee. He dove into the fray, punching, kicking, fighting with every trick and technique that Batman had taught him. In the confusion, the two quickly became separated, but now and then Jason caught sight of him, fighting with perfect skill, keeping up his guard on the right to compensate for his injured arm.

Captain Cold stepped up behind Jason, and X1 sank his elbow into the man's gut then brought a fist up to his face. Seeing an opportunity, he vaulted over the man and swung his legs around, sinking his feet into the Mirror Master's back. He lamented the fact that his suit was still depowered, but something in Jason revelled in this kind of head-on fight.

Turning, he was about to leap onto Blockbuster's back, when something slammed into his side and he flew back several feet before skidding to a halt at the feet of the laser.

"You know, if there's one thing I can't stand, it's a bad guy turned good." Said Joker conversationally, stepping from the riot behind him as if from an air-conditioned room. Kneeling on Jason's chest, he produced a small flick-knife from inside the folds of his jacket.

"Now, what say you and I have a little fun of our own?"

In retrospect, Jason probably should have been scared. But fear wasn't really something that came easily to him; anger was much higher on the list.

Jason drew back his fist and sank it into the Joker's face, jumping up as the clown staggered back.

"Party pooper." He muttered.

Jason didn't give him time to recover, charging in with an inarticulate cry of rage. He hit the Joker in his stomach, then the face again, then reeled back as the Joker struck him over the head.

"Temper, temper." He said, sounding surprised but still smiling. "That sort of attitude will get you nowhere."

Not bothering to retort, Jason leapt at the Joker's legs, bringing him down. He leant in, drawing back his fist, but the Joker hit out first, rolling over until he was on top of Jason, his hands pressing down on his throat. X1 struggled furiously, but the Joker pressed down harder and suddenly he couldn't breathe.

"I'm quite hurt. Really." The Joker continued, as if nothing had happened. "What have I ever done to you? Apart from this, of course."

Jason grunted, trying to push him off.

"Oh, Batmaaan." Called the Joker in his sing-song voice. "Over here, Batman." He waited a beat, then leant in close enough for Jason to see every line on his chalky face.

"Looks like no-one's coming to save you this time, boy."  
>"Who says…I need…saving?" Gasped Jason, shifting his leg and bringing up his knee into a very painful place.<p>

Joker yelped and let go of Jason's neck, his hands automatically going to the affected area. Jason leapt on top of him, rolling over and over, hitting every inch of Joker that he could reach.

They came to a halt, and suddenly their positions were reversed. Jason leant over the Joker, one hand holding him by the throat. Joker tried to bring up the knife, still clasped in his hand, but Jason stamped on his wrist until he let go.

Joker giggled nervously, and that did it for Jason. He drove his fist into the Joker's head, but the clown only laughed more, so Jason punched him again. And again. Every time, the Joker laughed louder and more hysterically.

"SHUT UP!" Screamed Jason. "SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!"

Finally, choking on his own blood and broken teeth, Joker paused his laughter and looked up at X1, his fist hovering above the Joker's head.

"What now, boy?" He whispered tauntingly. "Are you going to kill me?"

Jason's breathing was ragged, his hand trembling, the knuckles of his glove covered in blood.

"Time's a-ticking." Joker carried on. "Better get on with it if you're going to."

Jason's fist shook harder, staring down at the man's shattered face. He felt sick, cold shivers running through his body.

"No." He whispered shakily. "No. I'm not like you. I'm not a murderer."

"Pity." Said Joker. He almost looked disappointed. "At least then you would have died satisfied."

There was a movement in the corner of Jason's eye, but he turned just a fraction of a second too late to see Bizarro hurtling towards him. The clone hit him with the force of a freight train, throwing him off Joker and through the air until his back hit the very solid laser casing. X1 dropped to the floor without catching himself, the landing knocking all the force out of his body. He tried to push himself up but failed, slumping quietly back to the floor.

Across the room, Batman saw him fall.  
>"X!" He yelled. Resisting the urge to call the boy's name, he beat back the 5 villains surrounding him and ran to the boy's side, standing protectively over him as Bizarro hauled t he Joker to his feet. Pulling a handkerchief from an inside pocket, Joker wiped most of the blood from his face and turned to smile at his nemesis, now standing outside the cover of the dissipating smoke.<p>

"Look, boys and girls," he said to the gathering supervillains, "a bat out of its belfry."

"What should we do with him?" Asked Mirror Master, still rubbing his back from where Jason had hit him.

"Let's just kill him now." Growled Blockbuster.

"Oh, no no no no!" Exclaimed the Joker. "That's not how we do things in Gotham."

"Torture him first?" Suggested Captain Cold.

"Getting warm!"

"Torture the kid." Said Shade calmly. "And make him watch."

"Ten points!" Cried the Joker, pointing dramatically at the Shade. "Give that man a prize!"

Turning back to Batman, his voice dropped to a sinister whisper. "So how about it, Bats? A little bit of sadistic fun? For old times' sake."

Batman stared at him, thinking it over. Finally, he settled on the only course of action that seemed available to him.

"Take me." He growled.

"I'm sorry, Batman, I didn't catch that."

"Don't hurt him, hurt me. I won't fight back."

"You promise?"

Batman just glared. Some villains on the front row recoiled. But Joker wasn't done.

"Say 'please'."

Batman gritted his teeth, and looked at the floor. He had no choice. He couldn't lose Jason. Not again.

"…_please_."

Joker grinned wider, then turned around.

"Bizarro, take the kid to cool off. Everyone else…" He smiled magnanimously. "You heard the man. He won't fight back." There was a murmur of excited muttering. "Play nice." The crowd surged forward, slowly at first then more eagerly as they realised Batman would be true to his word. Joker walked away as the first blow landed, smiling as the pain began.


	6. Chapter 6

Joker danced into the laser control room, waltzing along to the music in his head.

"So, kiddies," he called as he spun on the ball of one foot, "what have we found?"

"One big laser cannon, boss man." Copperhead replied. Joker stopped dancing and looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Anything _else_?"

"Um…"

"The laser was aimed at Gotham City." Interrupted Star Sapphire, saving Copperhead from an untimely demise. "Looks like Happy over there was planning to blow the old place up." She nodded over to the table where Vice lay supine, his last inane grin plastered over his face from when Joker had settled their 'disagreement'. "Apparently, Gotham is 'the hive of all evil'."

"Well, I can't see where he would get that idea…"

"It looks like the ultimate plan was that we would get blamed for this." Cheetah added. "Isn't that right, Herman?" The last comment was directed at the last technician standing, though it didn't look like he would be for much longer; his face was the colour of ash and he was trembling so much that he looked like he was about to explode.

"Y-y-y-yes. T-the laser would destroy Gotham a-and then the police would come looking here and they'd find you, and –"

"And assume we set the whole thing up."

"Y-you were supposed to die, then th-there wouldn't have been anyone to oppose the story."

The Joker 'hmmm'ed, thinking it over. "You know, that's not a bad plan. But I can think of much better things to do with a big honking laser cannon. Liiike…blow up the Watchtower!" Joker jumped onto the control platform for the cannon, and pretended to look down the scopes, making 'pew, pew' noises. Star Sapphire and Cheetah exchanged glances.

"I think that sounds like much more fun." Said Joker, hopping down and wandering around to the front of the cannon.

"What do you think, Batman? Yoohoo! Batman!" He shouted, looking up to the barrels, where Batman and X1 hung, spread-eagled, above the twin openings, stretched by their wrists and ankles in two 'X' shapes.

"I think you're a sick psychopath who should go back to the hole he crawled out of!" Yelled X1 back.

"I wasn't asking you!" Replied the Joker, sounding mock-hurt. X1 twisted his hands around and gave the Joker twin fingers, which he ignored, prancing away to check on the cannon's trajectories.

Jason watched him go, then, when he was certain no-one was listening, turned to look over at his fellow prisoner.

"Batman. Batman! Wake up." Batman said nothing; he hadn't spoken or even moved since Jason had awoken half an hour ago. His costume was torn and bloodied, and his broken arm had been forced up into the same X as the other. His mask didn't appear to have been removed (thank God), but his face was bruised and there was a trickle of blood running from one corner of his mouth. His head was slumped forwards onto his chest, his body limp. For a few long, sick minutes, Jason had truly believed that he might be dead. But then Batman had groaned once, very quietly, and Jason had breathed again.

"Come on, old man." Jason whispered. "Don't give up on me now."

J'onn felt himself waking slowly, and became aware that he was lying on his side on hot, greasy metal. Still in the compound, then. He groaned slightly in the back of his throat; needless to say, his headache had not been alleviated in any way by his recent blow to the temples, and he still felt weak and drained from the effects of the collar that was still pressing tightly against his neck.

Or was it? Was it his imagination, or was the collar moving, accompanied by a clicking and scraping of metal on metal?

He opened his eyes a crack, and then wider, blinking rapidly to try and bring everything into focus. Gradually he sensed someone leaning over him, and he tried to turn over, craning his neck to see who it was.

"Don't move." Said a female voice behind him, more irritable than threatening, and with a start he recognised it.

"X2?"

"I _said_," she replied, glaring at him through the eye slits in her mask, "don't move. I'm almost done." J'onn complied, feeling a slight pressure as she fiddled with something in the collar. There was a sudden loud _click_, and the metal split into two parts, allowing him his first free breath in hours. X2 pulled it away, and then discarded the collar by another – Superman's – on the ground.

He sat up, rubbing his neck gingerly.

"Hey." Said another – more friendly – familiar voice. J'onn turned around to see Superman sitting against the wall and smiling.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better for losing the collar…but what about you?"

"Better." Replied Superman, nodding. He certainly _looked_ better – the colour had returned to his face, and he was sitting up unaided.

"I guess we owe you one." Superman said, turning to X2, who looked up, surprised. "You didn't have to stay and help. Thanks."

"Well… you know." She muttered, sounding embarrassed. "Couldn't just leave you lying there."

"Where is Batman? And…X1" Asked J'onn, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I don't know." X2 replied quietly. "X1 stayed behind to try and warn Batman about the supervillains. He sent me on to find you. Um, you two know about him and Batman, right?"

They nodded.

"Oh, good. Well, anyway, I was actually expecting them back by now…I'm getting just a little bit worried."

Superman looked over at J'onn, who nodded again. Closing his eyes, he gathered his thoughts together. When his eyes opened again, they were filled with a bright orange light, and instead of seeing Superman and X2, his thoughts travelled through the compound, searching the rooms for Batman and his erstwhile partner. Finally, he located their minds, calling out to him, two glowing figures in a room full of grey. Quickly, he entered X1's mind, which seemed to be glowing the brightest. He skimmed the top of the boy's thoughts; the trap they were in, the soon-to-be fate of the Watchtower, Jason's suppressed hatred of the Joker. J'onn was about to speak to him, to reassure him that they were on their way, when Batman stirred next to X1 and all other thoughts immediately went of the boy's head. Suddenly, his mind was filled with anxiety. Jason was _scared_ – J'onn dug a little deeper and discovered the terrible condition that Batman's body was in, and he for a moment he shared in Jason's anger.

A thought flashed through Jason's head.

_Am I going to lose him?_

The idea filled him with fear. He couldn't bear the possibility that, having just found his friend, the man he saw as a father, the chance of regaining even part of his old life, of feeling _right_, was going to slip away from him. Bruce couldn't die. He was _Batman_, for God's sake. He couldn't just _die_, not like this.

And that he should be taken by the man who so nearly destroyed Jason's life before – Jason couldn't stand it. He felt the anger rising up, did his best to suppress it…

But it was too much for J'onn.

J'onn clutched his head and cried out, driven out of Jason's head by the intensity of the boy's emotion.

"J'onn? J'onn!" Superman was shaking him by the shoulder while X2 looked on, uncertain of what to do.

"I…I'm sorry. I'm alright. I know where they are." J'onn said quietly, when he had regained control of himself.

"You went into Jason's mind, didn't you?" Asked X2, more curious than anything.

"How did you know?"

"I've seen him do that. With his head." She mimed the head-clutching motion. J'onn looked at her, remembering scenes from Jason's more recent memories and wondered what had inspired her to become a thief. She was too good to be a bad guy.

"Where are they?" Asked Superman, pushing himself to his feet. J'onn noted the fleeting look of pain that flashed across his face, but after steadying himself against the rock wall for a second Clark took a breath and stood erect, his face set in determination.

"They are three floors up." Replied J'onn, also standing. "The supervillains have already reached them…they appeared to be in considerable danger."

"Then what's the hold up?" Exclaimed X2, immediately starting up. "Let's get going!"

She stopped short of the door only when Superman grabbed her wrist, holding her back.

"Hold on a second. Just because your partner has connections to Batman doesn't automatically acquit you of everything you've done."  
>"Are you serious?"<p>

"I don't joke about crime."

"There is another issue…" Added J'onn quietly, almost apologetically. "I realise that you have helped us, but there is still the question of trust."

X2 started to argue, but Superman cut her off. "He does have a point. How do we know that once you've freed Jason the two of you won't take off?"

She stared at him incredulously for a few long seconds, speechless. Finally, her voice returned, and she stepped close, standing on tiptoes to get as much in his face as she could.

"You honestly think _either_ of us could run away after all of this? Jason's just rediscovered his freaking _family_, for crying out loud. Batman is the closest thing he's got to a father – I'd say going back to a life of crime was pretty much ruled out after that. As for me, I don't really give a damn what happens as long as I'm with Jason and he's happy.

"You want us to return everything we stole? Fine. Whatever. I'll even throw in a note of apology if that makes you feel better. It was stupid and pointless to start with, and I wish we hadn't done it, but it doesn't matter now. Don't you get it? Nothing else matters unless the person I care about is safe, and I will do everything under the sun to make sure he stays that way. Surely you can understand that; Batman's with Jason, and he's in danger too. I know you want to save him, not just because you're a hero, but because he's your friend and you care about what happens to him. So don't you dare, for one second, imagine that I wouldn't do the same.

"So here's what happens now: I'm going up there to save my friend, and then I'm going to stay with him for as long as he needs me. You can tag along if you want. Just don't _ever_ try to stop me from getting to Jason again."


	7. Chapter 7 FINAL!

"2 minutes until the laser's in position!" Called Captain Cold, still pinching the bridge of his broken nose.

Jason swallowed, looking up at the open sky, and wondered which star was the Watchtower. The muzzle of the cannon had been slowly tracking a new course over the night canvas since Joker had gained control of the firing system 5 minutes ago, drawing a wide curve over the heavens that would only stop when the Watchtower was locked in its sights.

_And then…I die. _

Two deaths at the hands of the same person, thought Jason wryly. That had to be some kind of record.

In truth, though, thinking about the irony was a just way of suppressing how scared he was. And he was scared; absolutely bloody terrified, if he was honest. He didn't want to die, not now, not when he'd just dragged himself back to life. It couldn't end here, like this, he didn't deserve to die, it wasn't _fair_…

"Jason…" Murmured Batman beside him. X1 jumped; he hadn't even realised Bruce was awake, too caught up in his own self-pity.

"I'm – sorry." Jason stared. He didn't think he'd ever heard Batman say that before, and certainly never expected to hear him talk like this, like he wasn't sure what to say.

"For what?"

"For not saving you. Not this time or – or last time. I put you in that situation, and you weren't ready. And that was my fault. I never wanted you in danger, it just – happened." Jason couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. Batman's voice was low and full of hurt – physical, mostly, but for once Bruce was letting emotion creep into his tone. From the way he was speaking, Jason could tell that every word was causing him pain, but it was like, now that he'd started, Batman couldn't bring himself to stop. "I never wanted anyone hurt because of me, and I should have stopped it from happening. But I couldn't, so…I'm sorry."

Batman was staring upwards, unable to meet Jason's eyes. Jason, for his part, just looked at him, and took it in. He had never really stopped to consider how Bruce must have felt when he thought he's lost Jason, but after seeing him like this – so _vulnerable_, there was no other word for it – he suddenly felt the weight of the guilt and loss that had plagued him for 2 years.

Taking a deep breath, Jason pulled himself together. He couldn't afford to wallow in fear any longer. Somehow, their positions had changed; now it was Bruce seeking redemption, and though he hadn't said it, the need for forgiveness was as plain as it could ever be.

At last, Jason decided to speak. "It wasn't your fault." He said bluntly. Batman looked at him, confused. "There's nothing to be sorry for. You didn't force me to stand with you – that was my choice. I knew what I was getting into. I chose to fight."

Batman coughed strangely, and after a couple of seconds, Jason realised that he was laughing.

"What?"

"You _always _choose to fight."

Jason laughed then, too. "Oh, like you don't?"

There was the briefest of amiable silences, then Jason spoke again.

"So…we're good?"

"Yeah." Said Batman, smiling very slightly. "We're good."

The laser juddered to a halt beneath them, the locking mechanism clicking into place.

"We're ready to fire." Reported Star Sapphire, swivelling around on her chair.

The Joker whooped and leapt onto the pedestal, giggling maniacally.

"Bye, bye, Batsy." He sang to himself, and drew a circle in the air with his finger before stabbing down onto the Big Red Button.

"_Thirty second countdown initiated_." Droned a cool female voice through speakers mounted on the wall.

"How many do you think we'll catch up there?" Wondered Mirror Master quietly as the computer counted down and the laser whined, beginning to glow as it charged.

"No idea. " Replied Luminus, then grinned gleefully. "But I'm really hoping the Boy Scout is one of them."

"Sorry to disappoint."

The villains nearest to the smashed vault door jerked around, their faces freezing in horror as Superman swept through the hole, cape billowing behind him. He impacted on them like a meteor, knocking them sideways and scattering them like ninepins. J'onn materialised up from the floor in the midst of the sudden chaos, and smacked the villains' heads either side of him together before leaping in to help Superman.

_19…18…17…_

Jason struggled frantically as the heat built up below him, feeling his cape being sucked into the hole at his back. Beside him, Batman was pulling at his bonds, teeth gritted, grunting with pain.

_14…13…12…_

X2 sprang through the hole, spinning a red shuriken into Bizarro's back, who howled as it exploded, giving Superman the opening he needed to punch the clone in the face.

_10…9…_

X2 grabbed the railing on the control platform and used it to swing herself up, her feet slamming into the Joker and throwing him off the dias. Without bothering to finish him, leaving him to the Leaguers, X2 jumped onto the laser and ran up the cylindrical incline, her feet almost sticking to the hot metal.

_8…7…_

Reaching Jason, she grabbed a crimson blade from her belt and sliced through his bindings, allowing him to drop to the floor.

_6…5…_

Quickly, she moved to Batman, and cut the ropes around his wrists and ankles, but as he fell and Jason caught him, holding him steady, the laser started to shake and a bloodlike light started to leak out of the barrels.

_3…_

X2 looked around frantically, her eyes suddenly alighting on the power core slotted halfway down the machine.

_2…_

She dove for it, sliding over the burning metal as her fingers latched around it.

_1…_

With a cry she yanked it out, ignoring the flurry of sparks that burst over her mask from the hole. The light that was spilling out of the mouth of the laser suddenly cut off, the machine groaning in displeasure as it tried to account for the loss of power. All over the room, the dials and monitors exploded outwards, the computers whirring frantically. Blockbuster ducked a tongue of flame from one glass screen and was immediately leapt upon by Superman, who drove him to the floor then flew to block the exit as a ream of panicking supervillains tried to make their escape.

By the wall, X1 set Batman against a metal panel, holding himself up with one hand on the wall, then jumped onto Firefly, ramming his heel into the pyro's stomach. Someone else took a swipe at him and Jason sprang back onto his hands, pushing himself onto his feet to land with his fists held in front of him by Batman's side. A group of villains was heading steadily towards them, obviously having picked them as the easiest targets. X1 opened his mouth to say something cocky, but was saved the trouble by Taryn.

"Hey, X!" She yelled from the top of the laser. "Catch!" She drew back her hand and threw down something small and black, which he caught in an outstretched fist. Opening his hand, he saw the slightly charred power cell, and smirked before slotting it into the central panel on his belt.

The suit hummed with pleasure, and Jason grinned, reclenching his fists and feeling their new power. Taryn flipped off the barrel to land in a crouch beside him, and together they faced the assembled bad guys, who hesitated, sensing the balance shift.

"You take the right, I'll take the left." Instructed Jason.

"Anything you say, Boy Wonder." He turned to stare at him, and she winked. He laughed, and then they leapt into the enemy, yelling as one.

Batman allowed himself a small smile as they decimated the assorted villains, Jason fighting every bit as well as he'd taught him to, and Taryn the perfect counterpart to his style.

Suddenly, Batman frowned again, turning around. A sudden suspicion crossed his mind, a thought which was confirmed as his eyes fell on the open back door and the purple coattails that had just whipped out of sight.

Joker sprinted along the corridors, glancing back every so often. Let the others go back to jail; he intended to relish freedom for a little while longer.

"He who fights, and runs away…" He muttered to himself. The fact that he had escaped so easily made him chuckle, and he was still laughing as he rounded a corner and almost ran headlong into Batman.

Not bothering to wonder how exactly Batman had got there before him, Joker reached into his pocket for his knife, but Batman's left hand snapped out and grabbed his wrist before Joker could do anything, pressing down with his thumb until Joker had to drop the weapon.

The smile disappearing from his face, Joker lashed out with his free hand, but Batman moved first, letting go and smashing his fist into Joker's forehead. The clown staggered back then collapsed onto his rump.

"This is why we can't have nice things." He mumbled.

Batman leant down, his cloak shrouding Joker from view. Throughout the encounter, Batman had been silent. Joker expected him to be at least a little miffed, but he hadn't said a word. In Joker's experience, that was usually a bad sign.

"You know, your boy Red already did a number on me earlier." Pointed out Joker quickly. "I'm willing to come quietly without you getting violent. Really."

Batman leant closer, pulling Joker's face up to his own.

"_Say 'please'_."

In the control room, the battle was all but over. Groaning supervillains lay sprawled over the wreckage of the computer systems, or on their fronts with their hands behind their heads under the smouldering remains of the cannon. Superman had quite wisely decided to destroy it, just for good measure.

"I think that went well." He remarked to J'onn.

"Yes…" The Martian replied slowly. "But where are Red X?" Superman glanced around, feeling his heart sinking as he realised the teenagers were nowhere to be seen. He hadn't been sure before they ran into battle, but the girl had sounded so sincere when she said they wouldn't run…

He was just about to use his X-ray vision to search the facility, when the door at the back banged open, pushing aside a limp Luminus, and Red X entered, Batman suspended between them. X2 was on his right, supporting him without putting pressure on his injured shoulder, while X1 stood on his left, holding Batman with one arm and dragging along an unconscious Joker with the other. Pushing the door closed, he dropped the clown's cuff (giving him a kick for good measure), and looked up at Superman.  
>"Didn't think we were going to run out, did you?" Taryn asked, a smile in her tone.<p>

"I had a feeling we weren't going to get off that easily." Replied Superman, taking Batman and smiling back. "Though you've still got a job to do."

"Don't worry, Boy Scout." Said Jason, folding his arms. "We're not going anywhere."

**Gotham, 1 week later**

Bruce Wayne sat the high-backed armchair in Wayne Manor, watching a newscast and nursing the plaster covering his right arm.

"… in national news, a bizarre few nights have seen several stolen items – including Queen Audrey of Kasnia's priceless diamond necklace, recently lifted from the Metropolis National Museum – miraculously returned to their homes. The items were, as one perplexed owner described it, 'simply there when I went to check in the morning. The safe was closed, but the statuette was just sitting on its cushion, like it had never been gone at all.'

"The thieves," continued the reporter, "now known to the world as 'Red X', have issued a public statement to the press in which they claim to be 'turning their interests to preventing crime, instead of performing it'. Though many are sceptical, this reporter is hopeful that the young duo have, in fact, turned over the proverbial new leaf.

"In a related story, Locke Vice has been taken into custody following charges of kidnapping and attempted murder in a scheme that purportedly involved the Justice League –" Bruce turned off the television. He didn't really need to hear that story, having lived through the whole thing.

"You know, I wouldn't say they've turned over a new leaf." Commented Tim, sitting on the arm of the sofa beside Bruce. "More like, they've re-turned an old one."

"Does this mean we'll be seeing a little more of Master Jason and his young lady friend, sir?" Enquired Alfred, dusting a photo frame.

"I hope so, Alfred." Replied Bruce, looking over as his butler replaced the photo of the two children on the shelf. Both children looked about 16, one with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and vivid green eyes, the other with short, spiked-up black hair and eyes of stormy blue. Both wore the same cocky smile. Bruce smiled slightly back.

"I hope so."


End file.
